The ability to throw and catch with BOTH the left and right hand is an essential part of excelling in lacrosse. The ONLY way to be fluid and proficient is through practice. There are colleges that spend one day a week on the basics. As an example, Maryland has Maryland Monday which focuses only on catching, throwing, and ground balls for an entire practice. Utilizing the Milton Wall is the best way for your children to develop into a top player and advance in this ever-growing fun sport.

To encourage our own Eagles lacrosse players to vastly improve their individual stick skills, we have rolled out our own Wall Ball Eagle Claw program. This program provides every Eagle Wall Baller with the opportunity to earn the coveted Wall Ball Eagle Claw shooter shirt. Boys in all age groups, from U9 to U15, can earn the Wall Ball Eagle Claw shooter shirt by completing the Wall Ball test for their specific age group. The test requires each player to demonstrate their ability to throw and catch the ball using a number of different throwing and catching techniques.

Earning the Wall Ball Eagle Claw shooter shirt is not an easy task. It will require dedication and hard work, on the wall, outside of regular practices and games. In fact, it is very unlikely any player will be able to step up and complete the two-minute stick skill test without having first spent a considerable amount of time on the wall. The following recommendations will help your son avoid hours of frustration and significantly improve his chances of earning the coveted Wall Ball Eagle Claw shooter shirt.

Be sure to use the correct fundamentals

The test is much easier when the player is using the correct fundamentals. The correct fundamentals include your stance, shoulder positioning, grip, footwork, throwing motion, etc. Players with poor fundamentals are slower and must work much harder to complete the test. Poor fundamentals also increase the risk of mistakes, in this case dropped balls.

Do NOT practice by taking the test over and over and over. Do the Wall Ball Drills!

It is easy to spot players that practice by taking the test over and over and over again as they typically get through the first or second skill easily, but then struggle in the later skills. They also grow tired and get frustrated easily. Please encourage your players to work on the recommended Wall Ball Drills until they are able to comfortably complete each workout within a 20 to 30 minute time frame. At that point, they will be ready to earn their shirt.